Greetings from grand Popo

It is superb, it is warm, actually very sweaty, lots of people, lovely people, nice morning and evening wind, slow tempo, excellent street African food, spiders, big cockroaches, scorpions, surprised faces to see a new yovo ( white person) many many interested men suggesting marriage, people wanting too meet the new stagier finlandais, lots of smiles and laughter, lots of colours, children, Muslims mixed with voodoo, sand everywhere, very dark nights, very dark, lots of new sounds, the sea, the beach, African French and mina language, sounds of drums, dancing.

These are a few of all the impression I have received during these days. My work seems very good so I am very pleased. I have not found a new home yet but I am sure it will work out in one way or another. We will try to arrange so I could live in the former trainees house, maarit. I live with her now, we share the same bed as there is not that much space. It is nice to have someone close that have been here for 5 months but in the long run I cannot continue sharing the same bed with her, I need to find my own place. I met an older man yesterday and visited his house, I might be able to rent a studio in his house, he lives in france, but we shall see. I will go there today and negotiate about prices. It was a very fancy house, too fancy, the biggest richest house in all grand popo… I don’t need that when I live here. I would of course only rent a very small part of the house; but still. I am already a yovo, a rich yovo. Have never experienced my own whiteness like this before. No matter what I do, I will always be yovo. But if monsieur gives me an okej price I will still take it as I will be here for so long. But I doubt the price will be okey. There are other Africans looking houses available so have to check that out.

People are very friendly and open; yesterday I had lunch at someone’s house. Well you cant call it a house, from a Finnish house-perspective, but it was a home. There was also a baby that liked me. It was a funny baby. I haven’t burned from the sun at all, I just sweat like a pig, but so does everyone else, so it is ok. I am happy to be here, go to work by mopo taxi that. Yesterday night when I wanted to go home from the restaurant and I didn’t want to walk alone 3km in complete darkness with a flashlight… I managed to get a mopo ride that had no lights, so the driver put a flashlight on his forehead and then we drove like hell in the darkness, yup, well, I am still here… people do have lots of mopo accidents, so I just hope mine wont be a bad one. Maarit has a high fever, we hope it is not malaria, she might have to go to the doctor if it doesn’t get better soon.

I have a local mobile number, I am not sure if all sms get through but one can always try. And it doesn’t cost me anything to receive phonecalls from finland. Number is 0022897831277 I think the country code is 228, have to check it out.

All in all I am doing great, and I am not lonely as I have thousand of people around me all the time  I am also in good health and it is not too hot yet even though I sweat a lot, it is manageable, still, before the heat wave in feb-march-april. Hugs and kisses